The Manteno Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Oak Forest Bengals at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Manteno had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt St. Anne on Tuesday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 9-3 victory.
Connor Harrod
| 05/19/26 vs St. Anne | 12 |
| 05/12/26 vs Herscher | 4 |
| 05/05/26 @ Coal City | 6 |
| 04/30/26 @ Streator | 4 |
| 04/24/26 @ Paxton-Buckley-Loda | 4 |
| 04/16/26 vs Iroquois West | 12 |
Connor Harrod made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over 6.2 innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs.
In other batting news, Franklin Jordan was incredible, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Dylan Polito was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Manteno kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Oak Forest). They blew past Argo 24-1 on Monday. The Bengals haven't had any issues with the Argonauts recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Manteno's record now sits at 19-8. As for Oak Forest, their record is now 16-14.
Manteno came out on top in a nail-biter against Oak Forest in their previous matchup back in April of 2025, sneaking past 10-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
